1. Field
Example embodiments relate to an image pickup device, and more particularly, to a color filter array which may have a small layout area and simple fabrication process, a method of fabricating the same, and an image pickup device including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image pickup device may be a semiconductor device converting an optical image into an electrical signal. An image pickup device using a charge coupled device (CCD) and a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor (CIS) using a CMOS process may be used, usually. Since the CIS may be fabricated using a normal CMOS process, it may be more economical than the image pickup device using the CCD. In addition, since the CIS may be integrated into a single chip with an analog-to-digital converter, the CIS may be advantageous in terms of integration. Furthermore, as a low-power and low-voltage CIS design becomes possible, the CIS may be widely used in portable devices including, for example, mobile phones and digital cameras having low power consumption.
A pixel array of an image pickup device may include a plurality of pixels arrayed in a two-dimensional matrix of rows and columns. Each of the pixels may convert photoelectrons generated from light energy into a digital signal to output an image signal. The image pickup device may output a black-and-white image having only brightness information of an object. Therefore, a color filter array, for example, a primary or complementary color filter array, may need to be provided at a light receiving side of the pixel array in order to display a color image. The color filter array may include a plurality of color filters and control the brightness by applying a signal corresponding to a color of each of the color filters so that a color image can be displayed.
Recently, the demand for high pixel density, high resolution, high picture quality, and high speed has been increasing continuously, with respect to image pickup devices. With the increase of resolution, the number of pixels included in a pixel array may be increasing and the layout size of each pixel may be decreasing. When the layout area of a color filter array does not change even if the layout area of each pixel decreases, a distance between a microlens installed to collect light and a photo sensitive device (or a light receiving device) may increase. As a result, the sensitivity of the color filter array may decrease. Therefore, with the decrease of the layout area of a pixel, a color filter array which is thinner and has a smaller layout area may be desired.
In addition, as the price of image pickup devices decreases due to the development of semiconductor technology, competition for reducing a unit cost in terms of productivity and fabrication cost may increase. Accordingly, a color filter array and method of fabricating the same, by which the production cost is reduced and competitiveness is increased by simplifying complicated conventional processes of fabricating a color filter, may be desired.